Invisible illness week -- no sympathy, just understanding

An invisible illness has its difficult side, because no one knows I'm sick.  But that is actually preferable.  There are people that have been burned beyond recognition and survived only to be viewed as a scary monster.  Dealing with an invisible illness and a total change in body image is a most difficult situation and I thank God I don't have that to deal with too.  So I am grateful that I don't have more challenges than I already have.  I don't seek sympathy; it's empathy and understanding that I want.  Just some understanding goes a long way toward feeling a part of something and not feeling so all alone with the burdens that I bear.  I think it's probably the same for you too.  We are all in this eye of an invisible storm that no one else can see.

Sympathy means that someone feels sorry for me . . . I sure don't need that.  And I don't need to spend time feeling sorry for myself either.  That leads to a downward spiral.  The one thing I do need is to take care of myself in ways that others may not even imagine.  I avoid negative people and their negative energy because that takes a big toll.  I listen carefully to my body, because the body rules.  If I ignore what my body wants I risk going into a total fm flare.  That's probably the hardest part, because my brain wants to rule and I have to work at holding it back.  The inability to keep up with others due to low energy is probably the hardest part for me.  I plan my activity very carefully to avoid getting into a flare, because once that starts it's hard to recover and then I miss life as it goes swiftly by.  Socialization takes so much energy and although I thorougly enjoy it, I am always totally exhausted and in pain afterwards.  But it is usually worth it!

So as we raise awareness for invisible illness, I know I'm in good company and that in itself is comforting.  I'm so sorry you are so sick, but I sure appreciate your company.  Take good care and may you find peace in each day.

Change is inevitable . . . fear and anxiety are optional

If there is anything I know for sure it's the reality that change is inevitable.  We live in a dynamic world that keeps changing at an ever faster pace.  Our own bodies are dynamic and change throughout the day; some of those changes are visible as decades go by.  We also feel the change in our bodies, especially when a chronic illness comes knocking.  As people age there is a tendency to feel more vulnerable, which is frequently expressed with fear, anxiety and depression.  People that suffer from a chronic illness are also prone to developing fear, anxiety and depression, and people with fibromyalgia are no exception.  Living with those feelings of vulnerability and the accompanying fears are difficult to cope with every day and can be debilitating.

I have experienced these emotions throughout the decades of my life during times of significant change.  Those times gave me an opportunity to examine my own perceptions about the events that had immersed me in a dark and scary place.  But I have learned that if I don't like a situation I have three choices:  I can either accept the situation as it is, I can alter or change my participation in the situation or I can change my perception of the situation.  That is the only control I have in the whole world; control over myself.

When I think of all the changes in my life it is apparent to me that many of those changes orignally presented themselves as a larger than life negative challenge.  Most of the life challenges and changes